Queen Elizabeth II’s Eight Grandchildren Honor Her At Somber Vigil

On Saturday, Prince Harry, Prince William and their six cousins stood in a Westminster Hall silent vigil to honor their grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Princes Harry and William, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn all somberly surrounded the Queen’s coffin. The Princes wore military attire at the ceremony, and their cousins were dressed in all black.

Harry received special permission from King Charles III to wear the traditional uniform for the occasion. Following his March 2020 departure from the royal family, the Duke of Sussex was stripped of his military titles. During previous public events since the Queen’s death, he wore civilian clothing.

The ceremony was the first-ever Vigil of the Princes to be performed by a monarch’s grandchildren.

Throughout the 15-minute event, the public walked through Westminster Hall and mourned alongside the family.

Before the vigil, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice addressed their grandmother on Instagram, “We, like many, thought you’d be here forever. And we all miss you terribly. You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever.”

They added, “The world mourns you and the tributes would really make you smile. They are all too true of the remarkable leader you are. We’re so happy you’re back with Grandpa. Goodbye dear Grannie, it has been the honor of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we’re so very proud of you.”

In a statement from the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II “died peacefully” on September 8 at 96 years old. She was the longest-reigning British monarch.

President Biden and Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern were among the many world leaders who flew to the UK ahead of the Queen’s state funeral on Monday.